The Kingdom Beyond the Walls
by T-the-cat
Summary: On one hand, a soldier bore the dead weight of her dear ones' demise, the fate of thousands of people on the other. And, inside her broken heart, the love she had for the only man who truly understood her, the film of hope that held her together. However, out of the three, she can hold on to only one, and has no choice other than sacrificing the rest...
1. Chapter 1

Her last words still ring in my ears.

"Kismet," she said, her voice a deadly whisper. "Promise me one thing." I was simply staring at her, lying on the ground bent out of shape, too frightened to move. A small grunt was all I could manage. Her right arm was missing, and her soft, blonde hair was burnt coarse black. "Promise... me..."

I slowly knelt beside her on the grimy cobblestone, gradually coming to my senses. Taking her remaining hand, I stuttered a garbled "yes?"

"Promise me..." She coughed, spluttering out blood. "... you'll... live... my... efforts... don't... go in vain..."

"Of course not... You have my sincerest word, Arya. Trust me."

"Goodbye..." She rasped, clutching my hand tightly. "...baby sister. Always remember..."

With this, the fiery light burning within her eyes slowly dimmed, and within the next few seconds, my dear sister's hand was nothing more than dead weight.

Arya Perie. My only sister. My only family. Dead.

A single tear rolled down my cheek, which I hastily wiped away. Deep inside, as I had looked upon her corpse, I felt that something had clicked into place. This was life. Life meant death. Some experience it sooner than others, yet it was all the same. That same feeling of anguish that could drive one mad, if it struck them deeply enough.

 _Now_ , I thought as I fired my grappling hook towards the nearest wall and propelled myself into the air, _it all depends upon whether you're weak enough to let it overcome you_.

Suddenly, a huge fist came smashing through the house I was hanging from and I was somehow able to leap off just in time. Spraying debris everywhere, one giant eye loomed over me as I crashed onto the hard stone floor below. An excruciating pain shot up my left leg, rendering me unable to stand.

 _Talk about good timing._ The thing rose to its full size.

And there it was, my messenger of death. A Titan, at least 10 metres tall.

Fear seized me, and for a moment, I just stood there, staring at the huge man-eating hombre that would probably be the reason behind the entirety of the Perie family disappearing off the charts. I didn't know what else to do — I wasn't ready — so I desperately tried to turn, thankfully in success and I unsheathed my double blades, now prepared to fight.

 _Wait._ I remember now. _This_ was the Titan who ate Arya's right arm.

This fucking son-of-a-bitch ate my poor sister's arm.

 _Arya…_

 _WHY?!_

I fired my hook again, this time with rage coursing though my veins instead of blood. It hit the monster's temple and I launched myself upwards, unfortunately landing on my bad leg, causing my knees to buckle.

 _You killed my only family…_

As a last attempt to save myself as I slipped, I jabbed one of my blades as far as it could go into the Titan's side, spurting blood everywhere. It was a long shot, because I knew that I might slip and fall again, but I managed to heave myself up onto the sword and used it as a foothold in order to grab hold of its shoulder.

My happiness, or whatever emotion was struggling to surface from my ocean of wrath, was short lived, as that was when _it_ grabbed _me_ , and slowly tightened its fist. I felt too helpless to even _struggle_ , for once in my life.

 _Was this the end?_ It brought me closer to its slimy mouth, jaws wide open. All I could do was watch, frozen in shock.

 _Was this how I would die, a brainless Titan's fodder?_

But no. It couldn't be. I gave Arya my word. My dead sister was counting on me. I will not just die and let her down _this_ easily.

Using my last blade, I stabbed it in its closest eye, blinding it instantly.

I knew what to do.

With my grapping hook still tightly holding on to its temple, I used it to pull myself out of its grasp, thanks to the slippery blood still in its hand. I swung as hard as I could, pulling my sword out of its eye, and when I reached its neck, I saw it.

A clean shot.

Needless to say I went for it without even thinking twice, slashing through its weak point, the nape of its neck, with whatever strength I had left in me.

With one last thunderous roar of pain, the Titan collapsed along with me, my landing cushioned by its back.

Darkness slowly swallowed me, leaving my senses open just to hear my name being frantically called.

 _I will avenge you, Arya..._

 _~~x~~_

 _Voices. Those were..._ voices.

"…deserves to be in your squad, Levi."

"Are you crazy?" _Sounded like a guy._ "Have you seen how reckless she's been? She could've gotten herself killed! Heck, she even could've gotten someone else killed, all because of her stupidity!"

 _Who the hell did that guy think he was?_

He continued. "Levi-Heichou, the only thing that is completely impossible is doubting in your capabilities, but she is—"

"Enough." _I heard the sound of wood creaking, possibly some chair being drawn back. Footsteps, steady, accurate._ "Where is your respect? She's an elite. Any one of _you_ cowardly rookies would've been scared shitless, so don't even _try_ to flatter me."

 _That voice... I recognised it._

 _The legendary Captain Levi, humanity's strongest soldier._

 _But why was he discussing_ me, _of all people?_

"She may be obstinate enough to defy orders," _he added,_ "but is still brave enough to carry out her stupidity. You all would've been eaten within two seconds."

"Levi," _said a voice._

 _Was that... Hange? Commander Hange? My old squad leader...?_

"Hmm," _the Corporal purred. All I could see was black, but I could hear Levi's footsteps gradually coming closer._ "It is your decision after all, Hange."

"Then it is best we decide, once and for all. We can't just leave Kismet in her current condition."

 _I didn't quite catch anything after that..._

 _A soft bed... lying down, dead tired, was all I remember... The sheets smelt like washed linen and soap._

 _Somehow, that reminded me of how Arya used to wrap my clean sheets around herself and stumble about like a monster, pretending to chase me around and then try to eat me._

If only you knew, Arya, that you had trained me for this day.

 _She was like my mother; she was all I had. I never knew my real parents, but_ she _did. She would tell me that they had gone to live in a magical place, outside these Walls we humans lived in. There were oceans, she said. Forests, deserts, open blue skies, birds and animals roaming free._

 _Of course, I knew they were most probably dead. But I listened anyway, just to keep her talking._

 _Levi was right about one thing, though. I_ was _obstinate. Instead of just shutting up, I would keep on asking: "Can't we go visit, Arya? Why do we live in these Walls anyway?"_

 _She never answered that. Twisting that silver ring she always wore on her finger, all she would reply— "There are monsters out there, Kismet." One shiny teardrop would slowly make its way down her glossy cheek. "They were very brave, our parents..."_

 _That's why we joined the Survey Corps. To start over, to fight those monsters._

 _It was the Commander, and my old squad leader, Hange Zoë, who told me what my name meant._

 _Kismet. Destiny._

I was destined to kill...

I will avenge you, Arya...

 _But somewhere, a thought nagged at the poor excuse of a heart I had in me._

Maybe I was just destined to walk alone...


	2. Chapter 2

"Rise and shine, braveheart."

I was in a single bed, adjusted towards a corner in a medium-sized room with pure white walls. To my amazement, the room was spotless. There was a desk near the window with papers neatly arranged on one side, held down with a paperweight. Pens, ink bottles... Everything was meticulously arranged towards the back.

Near the opposite side of the room, there was a single wooden door with a wardrobe kept at a right angle to it, left slightly open.

The contents of the wardrobe interested me.

3D Maneuvering Gear. The Survey Corps' symbolic green cloak. Fit white shirts, and strangely enough, mops.

I wondered whose room I was in.

Now fully awoken from my slumber, I lifted my face to see Captain Levi standing next to my bed with arms crossed, his dull grey eyes studying my face closely. "Was your pillow too hard for you?"

That caught me unawares. "Wh-w-what?"

 _Stupid,_ I chided myself. This was Levi Ackerman. He was being sarcastic. Of course he was being sarcastic.

He turned away, but his gaze never left me. "Kismet Perie, isn't it?"

Pushing my blankets off of me, I propped myself up on my elbow, that horrid ache in my leg still not letting me get up properly. "Yes, sir."

"I see." Levi blinked slowly, and taking out a fit-white handkerchief, started to work on rubbing a bit of mud off of his cravat. I wondered how that even seemed to bother him at all — I mean, it wasn't like his clothes were even a smidgen unclean.

Despite being unable to make a very friendly first impression on me, I found him rather attractive. He was short, yes, a lot shorter than I thought he would be, but he was, unfortunately, _hot._

"So tell me." He knelt beside the bed, facing me. "Before Hange was named Commander, you were in her squad, right?"

Why was he asking when he already knew? I was feeling pretty irritable; he didn't need to add to my annoyance. "Yes, I was."

There was a knock on the door.

"It's Hange," we spoke at the same time.

An awkward pause.

"Come in," Levi sighed, and the door flew open with a colossal crash.

"OOO, LEVI!" Hange stumbled in, grinning maniacally. I couldn't help but smile whenever I saw her. She was always so energetic, so full of life...

Having her around made me happy, and even though the feeling was rare, I felt somewhat jealous of her. I mean, having _me_ around never made anyone happy, did it "Wait..." Hange narrowed her eyes and adjusted her spectacles, frowning deeply. "Kismet? Is that you?"

Levi turned his head to look at her. "Go clean your glasses, Four-Eyes," he grumbled. He returned his attention to me. "Perie here is joining the Special Ops squad, isn't she?" He added, "Not that anyone'll notice."

I would've punched him in the face if I hadn't been aching all over and feeling like shit.

Hange whipped out a pair of gloves and put them on. "Oh, she is joining you, but she isn't joining _anyone_ until she recovers. At least partly." Coming over to me, she started a thorough examination of my injured leg, still unmovable. "I don't know why you are taking this step, Levi, but she is a valuable member of her current squad. You already have your share of elites—you don't need another."

That comment startled me. Okay, I might've been good enough to be a member of Hange's squad before she became the Commander, but still... Squad Levi?

Levi must've guessed my thoughts, judging from the befuddled look I probably had on my face. "Oh don't worry, Kismet," he said wryly. "I don't bite. Usually."

That brought out a little laugh from Hange. "No, that he doesn't, Kismet. Just make sure you keep your room clean, and keep a mop handy." Another awkward pause. "In fact, it was really him who saved you from being eaten, out of everyone else." Her head suddenly drooped, and I could tell she was embarrassed. "I was too far away to help."

 _Was this true?_ I turned to look at Levi, but his eyes revealed nothing.

 _So Levi saved my life. Where he could've just left me to die._

"It seems like she's ready to join," said Levi, standing up and heading for the door.

"But Levi—" Hange started to protest, not so interested in my broken leg all of a sudden, when he stopped where he was and glanced back at her.

"Hange. Don't worry your little ass off. I kill Titans. Who said I can't tame a wild character like her?"

"Excuse me?" I blurted before I could stop myself.

Levi raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

 _Fuck it._ I couldn't continue. Even though I hated his bluntness, he was going to be my squad captain after all. _I must at least_ try _to respect him._

Nevertheless, this was embarrassing. "I'm sorry, _heicho_ ," I said, flushed. All I did was watch as the Corporal silently continued towards his exit. "Kismet." Levi cast me that same unyielding look he had given me earlier. "You probably despise me right now. Hate me all you want. After all, once you realise the reasons behind all my actions, you'll get used to your hatred and learn to look beyond it."

He left and shut the door with a neat click.

Hange smiled. "Aah, Kismet, don't mind him. He's just getting used to the idea of having to work with you, that's all. Other days, he's so quiet that you wouldn't know if he were right behind you!" She got up and reached out for a roll of bandages she had kept on Levi's desk. Sometime. I didn't even notice her putting them there. "You're skilled, Kismet. Very skilled. Maybe, just maybe, you and Levi could be equals, and you just don't realise yet. However, what you _lack—"_ She punctuated that word by tightening the knot on the bandage she wrapped around my leg, "is teamwork. I realised that when you used to refuse my orders during training, and my hunch was confirmed once you broke formation and raced off to save your sister."

I stiffened at the mention of Arya.

Levi thinks I'm stupid? He's wrong. I'm _impulsive._ Somehow, no matter how noble I might seem on the outside, I will eventually turn to save the ones I love, even if it meant sacrificing the lives of others.

I know I sound hypocritical, and I do believe that maybe this is where Levi and I are fundamentally different.

I hate myself for it.

Hange mistook my silence for being troubled. "Don't you worry. Levi eventually learns to respect all his comrades. You will too." She got up, gently laid the blanket over me, and stumbled to the door.

"Until we chop up Titans again, Kismet!"

And Hange left.

* * *

 _ **Heya! Next chapter: hope y'all liked it!**_

 _ **Chapter 3's coming soon, so hang in there! :)**_

 _ **~T**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello there! This is chapter 3: hope you like it! It's a bit small, so it might turn out to be a quick read for most, but don't worry- the next chapter will be up here soon.**_

 _ **~T**_

* * *

Chapter 3 (Kismet's POV)

I couldn't sleep. I had been phasing in and out multiple times, and it was almost as if my body refused to give me any rest. My thoughts were, unfortunately, dominated by Levi Ackerman.

I hated him already. And me, being the person who I was, should now have to _bite her tongue_ before making a single comment, in case I offended His Highness. From what I had heard about him, he wasn't very... approachable, with a cold, indifferent attitude about him. I'm approachable. Or at least, I try to be. He's sarcastic. I'm usually anything _but_ sarcastic.

And honestly? One's face, especially their eyes, were the index of their mind. But _Levi..._ If someone offered me a fortune just to say what was going on in his mind, I'd decline on the spot. It was close to impossible.

But, despite all this, I feel that not being able to know what's going on inside someone's head is one of the most annoying feelings in the world. Sometimes, even painful.

 _Something didn't quite add up,_ I thought, as I helplessly lay in Levi's bed. Levi disliked me sure as hell, and the feeling was mutual, but if that was the case, why would he leave his comrades and come running after me?

There seemed to be two feasible explanations: the first and most probable being that it was probably Hange's request, or that he believed that I couldn't save myself.

 _Urgh._

My stomach churned. _I had to eat._

I found a pair of crutches waiting for me, leaning on Levi's wardrobe. Getting up as slowly as I could, so that no pressure whatsoever falls on my left leg, I hobbled over to the wardrobe and grabbed them, heaving a sigh of relief once I was able to rest my body weight on them.

But, at this rate, I was useless to the Special Ops squad. I slowly advanced towards the door, cursing under my breath. Why, just _why_ did I have to get injured _now_ of all times? Levi will think I was a weakling, when I knew I wasn't. I was anything _but_ weak, intended to prove my point, especially to _that_ man.

My eye caught on something, and I threw a quick look towards whatever it was. Turns out, it was a mirror, attached to the wardrobe door. I spun fully towards it and scrutinised what I saw.

Apart from the fact that it seemed like as if I had just walked through hell, I pretty much looked the same. Injured, but not different. My hair, black till the middle and golden the rest of the way, had been freshly braided. My darkish skin seemed slightly tanner than usual, and my sea-green eyes seemed so... old, somehow.

I hurriedly scuttled out, wanting to leave my eerie reflection behind.

As I made my way down the main corridor in the headquarters, I felt someone's presence behind me. My reflexes immediately kicked into action, stiffening, and changing my grip on one of my crutches in case—

"What, you too constipated to even walk properly?"

Two grey orbs were watching, discreet, and I felt a mixture of anger and humiliation boiling inside me. _I had to stand my ground._ "No, sir," I muttered, gritting my teeth.

"Then get your ass moving. You've been given enough time to rest." I resumed walking, and Levi stepped into stride with me. Fleetingly glancing at him, I noticed that he was wearing a white shirt (obviously), and surprisingly, dress shoes. His cravat was neatly tucked in behind his collar, its creases meticulously arranged.

Once again, I must unfortunately admit, he looked... mesmeric.

Oh but no, I didn't hate him any less. In fact, I would consider punching him twice now, one for each humiliating comment he hurled at me.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the wrist, and I couldn't help but cringe at his iron grip. "Are you even listening? Don't test my patience— I'll have to start dealing with your bullshit from tomorrow." He snatched his hand back.

 _Listening? To what?_ I figured he had asked something, and I was too busy deciding when to break his perfect jaw to actually _listen..._

 _Fuck you, Kismet._

"What were you asking, _heicho?"_

He sighed, clearly done with me already. "I asked you about your leg."

"Feels like shit," I curtly replied. I kept walking, and stumbled on one of my crutches.

There I was, the elite soldier, falling face-flat on the floor in front of my to-be squad leader. I braced for impact as my leg hurtfully twisted, compelling me let out a small scream of frustration and pain.

But I never hit the ground.

A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around my stomach, stopping my fall just in the nick of time. By the time I had regained my balance, gathered my senses and processed what the heck just happened, Levi was standing two feet away from me.

This was one behaviour of his I could actually understand and relate to. He hated physical contact.

"I hope I don't have to teach you how to walk tomorrow, Kismet." He crossed his arms and scoffed. "Now go eat. You look terrible."

I turned towards the direction the mess hall was in. "But when will you join—"

I looked back at him to see if he was listening.

He was gone.


End file.
